CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Farmers who keep an eye
on the sky and an ear tuned to the local weather report will also want to pay
attention to long-term climate change trends which may sway production
decisions down the road.

“Farmers ask me more questions about
climate change than any other group,” said Illinois State Climatologist Jim
Angel, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois. “Climate change affects
their bottom line, so they need to know about temperature and precipitation
changes that will influence their operation.”

Climate is the long-term average weather,
and changes are important to watch. In Illinois, too much rain and a damp
climate, especially in the spring, can lead to delayed planting, soil erosion,
and saturated soils. With a 10 to 15 percent higher precipitation average
annually, this trend, which started in the 1960s, has become more pronounced in
the past 10 years across the Midwest.

This year Illinois experienced the third wettest July
on record, and last year was the wettest June and second wettest December on
record.

Temperature changes have not been as
dramatic as those of precipitation, but summers have more frequent humid
weather, which is uncomfortable for livestock. High dew point temperatures, a
measure of humid conditions, used to be rare, Angel said. In the past few
years, these conditions are more likely to occur. With high humidity,
temperatures don’t cool down as much in the nighttime hours.

The milder winters experienced in the past
two years in Illinois allow more pests, weeds, and pathogens to overwinter in
Illinois. Such effects of climate change may lower crop yields and quality,
requiring changes in management practices.

Mild winters also coax spring plants to
emerge too early, increasing their risk for a spring frost. These conditions
occurred in 2007 and 2012, when apple and peach trees failed to deliver a
bountiful crop.

Angel encourages farmers to use climate
change tools on the Useful to Useable (U2U) website (AgClimate4U.org). The
site features an ag climate viewer, climate patterns viewer, corn nitrogen rate
calculator, probable fieldwork days, and other tools. U2U is an integrated
research and extension project that helps farmers adapt to climate change and
make better long-term plans.

“People often compare this year with
previous years, thinking this year is like it was in 2012 or 2014,” Angel
said. “They try to predict future weather based on conditions from a previous
year. But no two years are ever alike.”

About the Prairie Research Institute: The Prairie Research Institute (PRI) at
the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign comprises the Illinois Natural
History Survey, Illinois State Archaeological Survey, Illinois State Geological
Survey, Illinois State Water Survey, and Illinois Sustainable Technology
Center. PRI provides objective natural and cultural resource expertise, data,
research, service, and solutions for decision making, the stewardship of
Illinois’ resources, and the public good. www.prairie.illinois.edu